Bob Mulvihill arrives at the nestbox, 7 Dec 2020, 8:56am
8 December 2020
Perhaps you have noticed that the Cathedral of Learning nestbox is clean and the old eggs are gone. As predicted, we performed annual maintenance on the Pitt peregrine nestbox and falconcam yesterday morning.
Due to the COVID surge in Allegheny County, four of us briefly met in the Cathedral of Learning lobby then only two, Bob Mulvihill and Dan Hosier from the National Aviary, went upstairs with the security guard to access the ledge. Joseph Pastorik and I watched outdoors at Schenley Plaza to see if the peregrines would show up. They did not.
As you can see from the snapshot camera, Bob collected the old eggs, cleared the nest surface, and cleaned the cameras. The nestbox roof has fallen apart so Bob pulled away the hanging bits. Meanwhile Dan measured the roof so he can construct a replacement. Bob and Dan will return in a week or three to install the new roof.
Are the peregrines still around? You bet. Morela (female), Terzo and Ecco (two males) have all shown up in the last five days. Check out these comparison snapshots.
Expect another human visit to the nest to replace the roof. Then we’ll all stay away, hoping that Morela, Terzo and Ecco can work out their complicated relationship and have a successful nesting season.
(photos from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)
Don’t break those eggs!!! (Pfew!) That would be smelly I would imagine!
The new season will be here before we know it, Kate.
God bless Bob for bending over in front of the camera and not revealing a plumbers crack. We all appreciate your work.
Oh yes the peregrines are definitely around, I see them in my “nature friendly” garden, only a block a way from the Cathedral nest box cam!
That peregrine cam is amazing and I appreciate the people that take care of it and the nest box.
I will try to get some photos.